Frazier Homes apartment fire was accidental

Investigators have ruled the fire that left 13 Frazier Homes residents homeless was accidental.

The fire started in a child's bedroom in a second-floor apartment at 1008 W. Broad Court around 1 p.m., Monday, said Matthew Stanley, spokesman for Savannah Fire and Emergency Services.

The fire quickly spread throughout the four-bedroom apartment, destroying all of the belongings of the single mother and her five children, Fire Capt. Michael Davis said.

Firefighters said they arrived to see flames coming from the upstairs windows and a crowd of parade-goers gawking at the blaze. The Martin Luther King Jr. Day parade was just ending as the fire broke out.

All of the residents were out of the building and no injuries were reported, according to Davis.

Firefighters were able to control the fire and kept flames from spreading to the first-floor apartment.

The second-floor apartment was destroyed. The family is now staying in a hotel, which is being paid for by the Red Cross.

The Housing Authority of Savannah is making arrangements for the family to move into a four-bedroom apartment at Kayton Homes, Housing Authority spokeswoman Sandy Glicken said.

No other apartments are available at Frazier to house the large family. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development regulations limit two children per bedroom, according to Glicken.

A family of seven, which lives in the apartment below the fire site, is also staying in a hotel until repairs can be made to the damaged drywall and ceiling tiles.

The Housing Authority is waiting for the power to be turned back on before renovating, Glicken said. The repairs will likely be completed by Friday.